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TORINO Tourist guide and Information
In this page:
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Historical Background
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| Augusta Taurinorum was a Roman city from the 11th Augustan region (Transpadana) in the Taurini territory. It acquired notable importance thanks to its geographically central location in the sub-alpine region. Later it became a Lungobard duchy and a Frankish county. The Savoy asserted their power from the 13th century onward. In 1563, Turin became their State capital. At that time, the city’s transformation began and it assumed its characteristic Baroque stamp. Subsequently, Turin was dominated by the French, until 1814, when it was again under Savoy rule. From then on the city became the center of the Italian Risorgimento and had the privilege of being the first capital of Italy (1861-1865). |
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Art and Culture
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Still remaining from the ancient Roman city is the Porta Palatina, which has four "fornice" (openings with arches above) between two octagonal towers, one on each side. The western Porta Praetoria towers are incorporated within the Madama Palace.
From the Romanesque period, the Belltower of Sant’Andrea, now called the Belltower of the Consulate, is still preserved.
The only piece of Gothic architecture left is the San Domenico Church, with frescoes in the trans-alpine painting style.
The Renaissance reached Turin at the end of the 15th century with the construction of the Duomo. Tuscan in form, it shows both the Lombard influence both in its sculpture and in the pictorial current that substitutes for the international Gothic taste, widespread in the Piedmont region. In the mid-1500’s, Emanuele Filiberto commissioned Francesco Paciotto to build the new Citadel. Under Carlo Emanuele I, Vitozzi planned Piazza Castello and traced the Via Nuovo (Via Roma) beyond the Roman walls, also furnishing the model for the facades of buildings that stood alongside. Castellamonte continued the work of Vitozzi, extending the Via Nuova and planning Piazza San Carlo.
In the 1600’s, Guarini brought the Baroque experience to Turin, thus beginning a new period of development. Among the works by Guarini are the Chapel of S. Sindone (Holy Shroud), the Church of San Lorenzo, the Carignano Palace and the Palace of the Academy of Sciences.
Painting was not a focus in Turin in the 1600’s, because it was dominated by Lombard accents. The architect Juvara worked in the 1700’s, designing the façade of Madama Palace, the Basilica of Superga, the Church of the Carmine, Santa Croce and San Filippo, the Martini di Cigala Palaces and the Stupinigi Villa. In the 1800’s the city grew towards the Po and towards the present-day railway station. The Piazza Vittorio Veneto was planned. In the second half of the century, Via Pietro Micca was opened up in the center of Turin, and almost all the piazzas and gardens were decorated with monuments.
The major constructions of the 1900’s were the stadium, by Bianchi, Fagnoni and Ortensi (1933) and the Salon of the Automobile, which contains several buildings. |
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How to arrive in Turin
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| By car |
Highways:
A4 Turin-Milan-Venice,
A5 Turin-Ivrea-Aosta,
A6 Turin-Fossano-Ceva-Savona,
A21 Turin-Asti-Alessandria-Genoa,
A21 Turin-Asti-Alessandria-Piacenza,
A32 Turin-Frejus-(Francia).
Connections:
N.10 Lower Padana (Turin-Moncalieri-Alessandria-Piacenza-Cremona-Mantua- Monselice);
N.11 Upper Padana (Turin-Chivasso-Vercelli-Novara-Milan-Brescia-Padua-Venice); N.20 from Colle (Pass) della Maddalena (Turin-Borgo San Dalmazzo-French Border,);
N.23 from Colle (Pass) of Sestrieres (Turin-Stupinigi-Pinerolo-Sestrieres-Cesana);
N.24 from Monginevro (Turin-Susa-Cesana-Monginevro-France);
N.25 from Moncenisio (Turin-Collegno-Susa-Moncenisio);
N.26 from the Valle d'Aosta (Turin-Chivasso-Ivrea-Aosta-Piccolo San Bernardo);
N.27 Gran San Bernardo (Turin-Aosta-Gran San Bernardo);
N.10 Lower Padana, direction Liguria (Turin-Alessandria-Novi Ligure-Genoa).
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| By train |
Turin has three train stations: Porta Nuova (Piazza Carlo Felice), Porta Susa (Piazza XVIII Dicembre), and Lingotto (via Pannunzio).
Porta Nuova is the Central Station, from which trains arrive and depart for every destination. Situated in the center of the city, it is easily reached by foot or by public transport. It faces the beautiful Piazza Carlo Felice, from which one can reach Via Roma, the central road in Turin. Inside the train station there are car rentals, restaurants, newsstands, a Duty-Free Shop, automatic teller machine, tobacco shop and bars.
The main lines are:
/Milan, Verona, Bolzano, Brennero, in the direction of Austria and Germany /
/Venice, Trieste/
/Alessandria, Genoa, Rome, Naples, Reggio Calabria /
/Bardonecchia-Modane, Paris and France /
/Cuneo, Savona, Ventimiglia, in the direction of France /
/Aosta /
/ Pinerolo, Torre Pellice/.
The station is at Piazza Carlo Felice/Corso Vittorio, tel. 011-5613333.
Porta Susa is the usual station for trains running through Milan and in general for trains coming and going to the east and west. Situated in Piazza XVIII Dicembre, it allows easy connections with bus and inter-city and suburban transportation lines. Within this station are a bar, restaurant, newsstands, tobacco shop, and automatic teller machine. Tel. 011-538513.
Turin Lingotto is a station of strategic importance. Once it only connected transport services, but now it connects Turin with southern Italy. Some Intercity trains also stop here. It offers every possible convenience, having been built only recently. It is located in the south of Turin, near Moncalieri and the Conference Center (Centro Congressistico). Tel. 011- 6653757.
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| By airplane |
Open to commercial and international traffic, Turin Caselle Airport is 15 km to the north/northwest of downtown Turin and is connected to the highway system (northern section). The modernization now going on in this airport makes it the most up-to-date in Europe and will make it even safer and more reliable, as well as increasing its already high level of capacity as time goes on. It is a natural arrival point for international tourism, especially in winter when people head for the splendid mountain locations of the Piedmont and Valle d’Aosta.
From the airport there is continual round-trip bus service for Turin.
Information: 011-3111616
Tickets: 011-5676372/373
Lost Baggage: 011-5676200. |
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How to get around in Turin
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| By car |
The city, with its wide streets and generous boulevards, facilitates easy driving. Exiting from the various highways, one can enter the circumferential and the principal arteries leading downtown. From the southern part of the circumferential, at the Stupinigi exit, one arrives at Corso Unione Sovietica, which leads directly to the Porta Nuova Station, in the middle of the city. From the A32-Frejus, following Corso Francia e Corso Peschiera, we reach Porta Nuova. Or, taking the Corso Allamano e Corso Sebastopoli, we come into Corso Turati, in the very center of the city. From the circumferential to the north, from Caselle Airport and from the A5, one comes into Corso Lecce, and continuing along Corso Peschiera we once again reach the downtown area.
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| Public Transport |
Getting around by bus in Turin is easy and economical. Tickets can be bought at tobacco shops, bars, or offices of the TT (Turin Transportation Consortium).
For information:
TT (Turin Transportation Consortium), tel. 167019152
Bus Terminal: Corso Inghilterra, tel. 011/43322525.
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| Taxi |
Taxi service is easy and efficient but certainly less economical than bus service.
The numbers to use for calling a taxi are:
5737 - 5730 - 3399.
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Shopping
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Search along the city streets, through the historical center, and walk under the 14 km of arcades, so that you can savor the high-quality international shops of famous Via Roma, piazza San Carlo, piazza Carlo Felice, Via Po, Via Garibaldi (the longest pedestrian zone in Europe) and many others. These will surely not escape you if you love to shop. |
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Food
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As is well known, Torinese cooking boasts excellent products, superb meats, wines famous throughout the world, and well known traditional sweets. Among the most famous dishes we can mention are fresh pastas (tajarin), filled pastas (such as agnolotti) and meat dishes (fritto misto and bollito alla piemontese). Not to forget chocolate, which is the mainstay of major pastry shops in the city. Obviously in a city like Turin there are numerous restaurants where one can taste the typical Piedmont fare. |
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Nightlife
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THEATRES
TEATRO REGIO, Piazza Castello 215, tel 011/8815241
TEATRO CARIGNANO, Piazza Carignano 6, tel. 011/547048
AUDITORIUM RAI, Via Rossini 15, tel.011/8104653
TEATRO COLOSSEO, Via Madama Cristina 73, tel. 011/6698034
LINGOTTO, Via Nizza 294 tel.011/6644111
TEATRO DI TURIN, Piazza Massaua 9, tel.011/7795803
TEATRO ADUA, C.so Giulio Cesare 67, tel.011/2482276
TEATRO ERBA, Corso moncalieri 241, tel.011/6615447
TEATRO AGNELLI, Via Paolo Iserpi 111 tel. 011/6192351
TEATRO FREGOLI, Piazza S.Giulia 2/bis tel.011/8122312
TEATRO ALFA, Via Casalborgone 16,tel.011/819352
TEATRO JUVARRA, Via Juvarra 15 tel.011/5175084
T.ALFIERI, Piazza Solferino 2 tel.011/5623800
CAFE' PROCOPE, Via Juvarra 15 tel.011/5175084
TEATRO ARALDO, Via Chiomonte 3, tel 011/331764
FOLKCLUB, Via Perrone 3 bis tel.011/537636.
DISCOS
BARRUMBA
Via San Massimo, tel. 011 - 883322
Closed: Monday and Tuesday
HEAVEN CLUB
Colle Maddalena 172, tel. 011 - 8610377
Closed: Monday and Tuesday
MIRO’ DISCO PUB
Str. Settimo 154, tel. 011 - 2731033
Live Music
NAXOS
P.za Guala 147, Tel. 011 - 616169
GANAS DE MAR
C.so V. Sovietica 411, tel. 011 - 613231
HENNESSY
Str. Traforo del Pino 23, tel. 011 - 8998522
Closed: Monday, Tuesday and Sunday
MIVIDA ROCK CAFE’
C.so Casale 127, tel. 011 - 8194347
Closed: Monday and Tuesday
PICK UP
Via Barge 8, tel. 011 - 4472204
THE BIG CLUB
C.so Brescia 28, tel. 011 - 2485656
VOOM VOOM
Via Ventimiglia 152, tel. 011 - 6637462
Closed: Friday
OPERA MUSIC VILLAGE
Via Cavour 131 Loc. Alpignano, tel. 011 - 9672966
Open: Friday and Saturday
HAVANA CLUB
Via Moncenisio 14 Loc. Avigliana, Tel. 011 - 939685
Summer garden
CHEZ NOUS
Via Freila Mezzi 47 Loc. Moncalieri, tel. 011 - 6467127
Summer garden
SABOR LATINO
Via Stradella 10, tel. 852327
VARADERO
Via O Vigliani, tel. 011 - 344534
ZOO BAR
C.so Casale 127, tel. 011 - 8194347
Closed: Monday and Tuesday
ATLANTIDE
Via Monginevro 10 Loc. Avigliana, tel. 011 - 9367783
Open: Friday and Saturday
LA FAVOLA
Via Monginevro 26 Loc. Avigliana, tel. 011 - 9369064
Closed: from Monday to Thursday
SOLOTALCO CLUB
Via Cuneo 16 Loc. Nichelino, tel. 011 - 6061058
IL SETTIMO SIGILLO
Str. Circonvallazione esterna 10 loc. Orbassano, tel. 011 - 9002014
PIN UP CLUB
P.za M. delle Grazie 2 Loc. Volpiano, tel. 011 - 9881759
TABATA
Via Monterotta 1 Loc. Sestriere, tel. 0122 - 755450
RIMINI NORD
Via Principale 1 Loc. Sauze d’Oulx, tel. 0122 - 858558. |
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